South Africa's death toll in the DRC mission has risen to five after a mortar attack on their base claimed two soldiers.

Two more South African soldiers have been killed in battle in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising critical questions about the wisdom and combat readiness of the mission.

The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) confirmed that two of its soldiers were killed and 20 injured, four critically, in a mortar attack on their base in Sake on Tuesday.

The four critically injured soldiers were hospitalised and the other injured soldiers were treated and discharged.

This attack, presumed to have been launched by M23 rebels, brought to five the death toll, in three attacks, of SANDF soldiers deployed since mid-December in the South African Development Community Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC). More than 30 SANDF soldiers have been wounded.

Their mission is to defeat armed rebel groups, but it is clear their main target is the M23 group of ethnic Tutsis, which is heavily armed and otherwise supported by Rwanda.

Military observers confirmed a Defenceweb report that a captain from 46 Brigade headquarters and a captain from the Air Defence Artillery Formation were the two soldiers killed in the attack.

They confirmed a Business Day...